Laurel police arrest two men for human trafficking involving teens

Two men were arrested for human trafficking after Laurel police found three girls, ages 15, 16 and 17, believed to have been trafficked for prostitution.

WASHINGTON — Detectives with the Laurel Police Department arrested two men in a human trafficking case involving three teenage girls.

Sean Dean, 25, and Gerald Dawayne Marshall, 28, both of Baltimore, were arrested for three counts of human trafficking and two counts of prostitution involving children under 16 on Feb. 6.

The case began when police officers responded to a call about some marijuana at a motel in Laurel on Jan. 11. When officers arrived on the scene, it became clear something much bigger was happening.

“Officers noticed multiple condoms,” said Lt. John Hamilton, the commander of criminal investigations with the Laurel Police Department. “The age of the girls seemed a little suspicious, and there was no adult as far as a parent-type of adult.”

Police believed the three girls ages 15, 16 and 17, were being trafficked for prostitution.

The girls were taken into the custody of Child Protective Services.

Hamilton would not say where the girls were from, but did confirm they are not from Laurel.

Laurel police said they were able to identify Dean and Marshall through an extensive investigation with the help of outside agencies.

Dean and Marshall are both due in court for their preliminary hearings on March 7.

Hamilton said the investigation is still active and ongoing.

WTOP’s John Domen contributed to this report.

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